Braillenote Touch Frequently Asked Questions

BrailleNote Touch Frequently Asked Questions.

This document outlines some of the most frequently asked questions that you may have when getting to know the BrailleNote Touch.

Q: What is KeySoft?

A: KeySoft is in general the way you experience the BrailleNote Touch. It is both the environment you see when you start your Touch, such as the main menu, various KeySoft apps like KeyWord, etc. But it is also the primary accessibility service which makes apps and your experience with the Touch an accessible one.

For example KeySoft handles all the speech and Braille output you receive. It also controls TouchBraille or keyboard entry when you edit in various apps. In short KeySoft is the interface you experience when using your Touch, ensuring everything is both accessible and efficient when using the device.

Speaking of efficient and simple, KeySoft includes such features as first letter navigation, allowing you to reach various items on the screen more efficiently, just by typing their first letter. This is especially useful if you do not know exactly where a “Next” button is located, just type an N and KeySoft will jump to the first item that starts with N.

Q: On my previous BrailleNotes I was able to use contextual help to quickly understand keystrokes and how to navigate my BrailleNote. Does the Touch have something like this?

A: KeySoft on the Touch also has contextual help. In any situation, press space with H and you will be placed in the contextual help screen. Here you can learn how to navigate your current app or location, identify general commands, and see how to access more shortcuts and keystrokes for that situation.

Q: What is the contextual menu?

In past versions of KeySoft contextual help provided both navigation commands along with every keyboard shortcut for almost every situation you entered with the BrailleNote. Many users mentioned that this amount of information was often overwhelming.

KeySoft on the BrailleNote Touch uses contextual help to instruct you for your current location and how to navigate it, but uses a new function called the context menu to inform you of all the keyboard shortcuts for a current app or situation.

To activate the context menu, press space with M, or press the menu button on the front of your Touch. The menu button is the square shaped button next to your home button. Similar to right clicking on a windows computer, the context menu provides the most common functions and keyboard shortcuts for your current situation in a KeySoft app. For example, let’s imagine you have forgotten the keyboard shortcut to send an email. Simply activate the context menu from your email message and navigate through its items. You will find one which says “Send Email, backspace with S". You can now press enter here to actually send the email, and also will remember that backspace with S is the shortcut to send emails quickly, the next time you need to send an email.

Q: What is TouchBraille?

A: TouchBraille is the innovative method that you can use to enter Braille on the touch screen of the BrailleNote. While using TouchBraille the virtual keys will find your fingers. To type using TouchBraille simply lay all 10 fingers on the Touch's touch screen to have the Touch recognize your fingers. To confirm your fingers have been recognized, you will receive a short vibration. After feeling the vibration you can begin typing on the touch screen as if you were typing on a physical BrailleNote keyboard. Using your right little finger for enter (Dot 8) and your left little finger for backspace (Dot 7). You can use either of your thumbs for the spacebar. Note, when having your fingers recognized, you do not need to lay all ten fingers down together. For example you can lay 5 fingers down on the screen and then keep them there, while adding your other 5 fingers in addition to them at a later moment. This allows you to easily spot read the Braille display with one hand while the other hand rests on the screen.

Q: Is there a recommended way to improve typing with TouchBraille?

A: Yes. Because TouchBraille is used to type on a touch screen, you do not need to use virtually any force when typing. The recommended position of your hands when typing using TouchBraille is to place your wrists on or in front of the Braille display and place all 10 fingers on the screen to receive the short recognition vibration. Upon feeling this vibration, lift all 10 fingers only slightly off the screen while leaving your wrists resting on or in front of the Braille display. Type normally while flexing only your fingers up and down. This insures that you are allowing the keys to follow your fingers in a general predictable pattern. TouchBraille provides a method for typing which allows a brailleist to type using less motion. Thus producing less strain on the hands.

Q: How do I edit in an edit box, and what is edit mode?

A: Because KeySoft allows for you to use first letter navigation to find items on the screen more efficiently, you must identify when you want to be inserting text, or editing, vs using first letter navigation to quickly jump to items. This mode is called edit mode.

When you want to type characters into edit boxes or text fields, you first need to activate those edit boxes to tell KeySoft you are ready to enter text. When you press enter or a router key on an edit box, you will activate edit mode. You will know you are in edit mode because you will hear a rising tone if you have sounds turned on, and will see your cursor appear between the edit box brackets. Now anything you type will be entered into that edit field. to leave edit mode, you can simply press the next or previous thumb key and your focus will leave the edit box and go to the next item on the screen and you will be no longer editing. Alternatively you can simply press exit (Space with E) or the back button, and your focus will remain on the edit box, but you will be out of edit mode. You will hear a lowering tone and see your cursor disappear from the edit box on the display. Now you can go back to using first letter navigation to jump to different items on the screen.

Note that in some KeySoft or 3rd party apps, doing a function may automatically put you in edit mode. For example, in KeyMail, choosing the “New Message” option will automatically open the new message composition screen with your focus in the “send to” edit field and edit mode active. In certain situations this is done to simplify the flow of doing a task. Also pressing enter while editing can do a number of things depending on what the app developer has set that function to do. For example, if writing an email, after typing your recipient’s email address, pressing enter activates a next function and moves your focus to the subject field in edit mode so you can immediately type the subject of your email message. You can check the functionality of the enter key in the contextual help menu.

Q: When I am typing in computer Braille I cannot perform shortcuts that use enter or backspace. Why?

A: Because the BrailleNote Touch will be able to be localized in many languages, some using 8 dot Braille and others using 6 dot Braille, users have asked that computer Braille be more standardized to ensure symbols are easy to type. This is why computer Braille is always using 8 dot computer Braille. Now if you are using English, for example, which does not have any specific characters represented by just dot 7 or just dot 8, dot 7 or dot 8 function as backspace or enter, as you are used to. However if you are typing in a language for computer Braille which has characters which are represented by just dot 7 or just dot 8, then you will need to press space with dot 7 to do a backspace or space with dot 8 to do an enter.

The general rule to remember is that when in computer Braille, all commands must use the space bar. So if you are using English computer Braille, and want to check the time which is normally enter with T, you need to press enter with space with T. If you want to change your language profile, which is done usually with enter with L, you need to press enter with space with L in computer Braille.

Q: In English computer Braille, how do I type common symbols for email addresses?

A: To type the @ symbol press dot 7 and dot 4.

To type an _ press dots 4-5-6.

To type a. use dots 4-6

to type a - use dots 3-6

Q: How do I charge my BrailleNote Touch?

A: The BrailleNote Touch comes with a specific AC adaptor that ships with your BrailleNote Touch. You will be able to charge your Touch fully in around 4-5 hours of having it plugged in to AC power. Because the Touch uses a micro USB cable to charge and connect to computers for data transfer, you can potentially charge the device with other AC adaptors for other devices which use a micro USB connector, however note that when not using the specific adaptor, or connected straight to a PC, charging time is greatly diminished. If you want to fully charge your Touch it is highly recommended to use the adaptor that shipped with your Touch. You can verify that it is charging optimally by doing the power command of enter with P. After the percentage you will see either “AC charging”, or “USB charging”. AC charging means it is charging as fast as possible.

Q: Is there a BrailleNote Touch QWERTY Version?

A: At the time of launch there is limited support for QWERTY keyboards. Currently you can connect a USB or pair a Bluetooth keyboard to your Touch and use it when editing. Eventually all KeySoft non-editing commands will be supported by the QWERTY keyboard. This will be included in an upcoming version. On screen TouchBraille will always be available and the default mode when using the touch screen as this is the most efficient method of using the Touch.

Q: Can I install 3rd party apps from the GooglePlay Store?

A: Absolutely, this is one of the most significant advantages of the BrailleNote Touch. The BrailleNote Touch is the first accessibility device designed for those who are visually impaired, to be certified by Google. It brings the efficiency of using a traditional note taker, to a mainstream tablet designed for a user who is visually impaired.

Keep in mind that KeySoft abides by the accessibility rules provided to android developers, meaning the developer of the app you would like to download has to have developed the app with accessibility in mind. Many apps on the PlayStore are accessible, however many are not.

Remember that the accessibility of a 3rd party app completely depends on the developer of that app, and HumanWare in no way guarantees the quality of accessibility when using 3rd party apps. If you do come across an app which does not work with KeySoft, your best course of action is to contact the developer of that app, to explain the inaccessibility of their app related to Google’s accessibility guidelines.

Having said this, many apps work extremely well when downloaded, and KeySoft’s abilities of first letter navigation, instantly typing in Braille in editing situations with TouchBraille, and simple, familiar navigation using the Braille keyboard commands, makes using 3rd party accessible apps a much more efficient experience.

Q: How do I select text using the BrailleNote Touch?

In past versions of the BrailleNote you may remember the block commands menu. We received feedback from users that they preferred an easier method for selecting, copying and pasting text.

While editing, to select text you need to start and stop a selection. To start the selection, place your cursor on or in front of the character where you want the selection to begin, and press enter with the letter S together. You will see and hear “Selection Start”. If you check your cursor, you will also notice that your cursor is flashing, to indicate that you are currently in the process of choosing your selection ending point. Now position your cursor after the character where you want your selection to end. Press enter with the letter S together and you will see and hear, “Selection End”. You will also notice that your selected text is now underlined by dots 7 and 8 to indicate what has been selected.

From here you can Cut, copy or paste the selection.

Cut using backspace with the letter X together

Copy with backspace with the letter Y together

Paste with backspace with the letter V together

Q: How do I create a print hard copy for a sighted teacher or colleague?

A: Because the BrailleNote Touch is technically a Braille tablet, the reality is that printer manufacturers do not create direct USB drivers to connect to tablets and smart phones. Having said this, there are several simple, and often more convenient ways to print from your BrailleNote Touch.

First off check the GooglePlay Store for a printer app that supports your printer. Often printers, such as HP have specific apps which allow tablets to print wirelessly to these printers. Simply download and install the app from the PlayStore and it will search for your specific printer. Then choose the print option from KeyWord’s menu and it will create a PDF of that document which you can print to that printer. 3 great printing apps are:

• HpePrint – Free, (Allowing you to print to any HP printer on the network.
• HP Print Service PlugIn – Gree, (Actually allows you to connect an HP printer to your Touch via USB along with printing wirelessly to a wifi printer. Note, you must turn this on in the printing settings located in android settings / printing.)
• PrinterShare - $9.99 (Allows you to print to any printer on a network regardless of its make or model.)

For Example:

Using a Brother HL-3170CDW series wireless printer:

Download the Brother iPrint&Scan app from the PlayStore;

After installation go to “all apps” and press “I” to find the iPrint&Scan app;

Press ENTER or a routing button to open the app;

Agree to the licensing terms;

There is an unlabelled button at the bottom of this screen which you must click;

The next screen shows different printers you can choose;

After choosing your printer the app advises what functions are available for your printer;

The HL-3170CDW series only has printing available;

Go to KeyWord and open the document you wish to print;

In the file menu choose “print to pdf”;

After the preview has been generated the iPrint&Scan app opens and at the bottom of the screen is a print button.

If the printer and the BrailleNote Touch are both connected to the same wireless network there is no network setup required.

If your printer manufacturer does not have an app, you can always use CloudPrint to print to a standard printer. CloudPrint is a way to use any connected printer to a computer as a wireless printer. Simply register it to your Google Account and it will show up in CloudPrint. For complete details from Google on how to do this, click the below link:

CloudPrinting from the BrailleNote Touch

The BrailleNote Touch will allow you to print a document using 2 different methods. The first method of printing will utilize an Application developed by various printer manufacturers. Apps for direct printing to WI-FI enabled printers exist for manufacturers such as: HP, Brother, Epson, Canon, Samsung and many more.

The second method of printing from the BrailleNote touch will use Google’s Cloud Print service. This option allows for you to print from virtually any printer that is connected to a computer with an internet connection. The following steps will demonstrate how you are able to add a printer connected to a computer. One must use the Google Chrome browser to add the printer to a Cloud Print account. You will also need to be signed in to the Google account associated with the BrailleNote Touch in the Chrome browser.

This tutorial assumes you are using a screen reader.

• On a PC, launch the Chrome browser.
• Enter the menu bar by pressing alt + f, and select settings.
• In the search settings box, type in the words “cloud print,” and press enter.
• Now, under the “Google Cloud print” heading, activate the “manage button.”
• Once you activate this button, you will see a list of classic printers that are currently installed on your computer.
• Check the box of the printer that you wish to add to Cloud Print, and press the “add button”
• Now your printer will be added to your Cloud Print account and will be able to receive documents from the touch as long as the printer remains connected to the computer with an internet connection.

Q: Can I emboss from my BrailleNote Touch?